Spring-needle knitting machine



April 22 1924.

G. P. BOSWORTH SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE; I

Filed June 23, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

UNITED stares teases PATENT caries.

GEORGE IE. BOSWOR'I H, OF CENTRAL FALLS,-BHODE ISLBLlSTII ASSIGNOR TO HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

SPRING-NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE.

Application filed June 23, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. BOSWORTH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Central Falls, in the county of Provi-.

dence and State of Rhode Island, have in-- vented an Improvement in Spring-Needle Knitting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to knitting niachines and more particularly to spring needle knitting machines, and is an improvement upon the invention disclosed in my Patents, No. 1,209,256 and No. 1,209,257, dated December19, 1916, and No. 1,285,545, dated August 7, 1917.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan of the sinker cam ring of a circular knitting machine and parts carried thereby and showing the relation of the presser cams to the spring needle pressers; i 1

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

section of one of the presser cams lated parts;

Fig. 4 is a detail in Vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in plan with parts broken away of a portion of the support for the spring needle pressers;

Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section of the construction shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail in vertical section showing one position of a needle presser; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing another position of the presser and its relation to one of the needles. V I

My invention may be embodied in any desired or suitable type of knitting machine. I have chosen to represent the same as embodied in a circular knitting machine of and re- Fig. 3 is a detail in plan and horizontal Serial No. 306,094.

the so-called Banner type wherein a rotating and reciprocating needle cylinder is employed having a circular series of independently mounted spring beard needles, the cam ring being stationary. My invention may however be embodied in machines having a stationary needle cylinder and a rotating and reciprocating cam ring. My invention may 'be embodied in machines differing in other respects-from the Banner type of machine and may be embodied in an automatic or other type of hosiery machine, or in a knitting machine for the production of other knitted articles, such as shirts or other underwear, etc., and while in the ensuing description I shall describe one specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that my invention is in no wise limited to such application thereof.

The needles, which are preferably of the spring beard type, asshown at 63 in Fig. 8 are engaged by suitable individual pressers 64 herein shown as mounted in radial grooves between radially arranged plate or bar-like projections 65 formedupon or properly secured to a ringfor so-called cage 66. Preferably each of the pressers is grooved upon its outer surface as indicated at 67 for thereception of a circular spring or wire 68 which ispreferably coiled so as to be 'sufliciently resilient and yet to hold the pressers securely in their grooves.

Each of the pressers 64 is provided with a rear edge 69 that is adapted to be engaged by the presser cams hereinafter described and is provided with a front edge,

the part 70 whereof is substantially parallel with the rear edge 71. Above the edge 70 is an edge'72 preferably at a slight angle thereto which for the best results I have found to be substantially 15.- The edge or at least upon a top having active pressing surface.

vertical than the face 72, so as to give the desired clearance for the yarn. The stem 75 of the presser is provided with an edge 76 extending to substantially the point 77 and being substantially parallel with the rear face or edge 71 of the presser. Below or beyond thepoint 77 the presser is provided with an edge 78 which is rearwardly inclined with respect to the edge 76, as clearly indicated in Figs. 7 and 8.

The construction of the pressers and their relation to the needles is such that when a presser, which is out of engagement with the presser cams, occupies the position shown in Fig. 6 under the influence of the spring 68, it engages the leading end of the edge of the presser camand is first rocked upon the point 77 as a fulcrum and into the position shown in Fig. 7. This movement of the presser occurs with relatively slight pressure of the presser cam. Thereupon and in the continued movement of rotation of the needle cylinder the pressers 64 are'rocked by engagement with the central part of the edge of the presser cam upon the upper edge 79 of the ring or cage 66 as a pivot, here'shown as squared at both the'inner and outer faces thereof, or upon the upper flat edge 80 of the said ring or cage 66 and into substantially the position shown in Fig. 8. This rocking movement occurs less easily than the first rocking movement, due in part'to the longer leverage through which the spring 68 acts. This brings the edge 72 more nearly into parallelism with the part of the heard 73 of the needle that it engages and therefore presents an edge to the needle beard 73 that secures a more satisfactory closing of the needle beard and also permits the needle to descend in taking the yarn with substantially the minimum of frictional engagement with the said presser face while offecting a proper closing of the beard.

Viewing Figs. 6, 7 and 8, it will be observed that the presser rocks mainly upon the flat, upper edge of the ring or cage 66. In my prior Patents No. 1,209,256 and No. 1,209,257, the upper edge of the ring or cage was beveled toan outer edge, the pressers rocking upon such edge at a relatively different distance from the upper end of the presser. In the construction disclosed in this application, the presser not only rocks upon the flat top edge of the ring or cage a flat surface of substantial radial extent), but it rocks at a point much nearer its upper end or The marked advantage thus obtained from the present invention is that the rocking motion is upon 7 a shorter radius and the effect is really an inward rocking'movement in an appreciable curve, whereas in my patented constructlons, the movement of the presser, be-

ing on a longer radius, is in effect substantially a straight inward movement.

In the construction herein disclosed, the presser rocks against the barb of the needle as the needle is moving down, whereas in the prior constructions the barb of the needle moves down against a fixed or substantially fixed presser. In the present construction,.the needle with its barb and the presser move down together, the substantial rocking movement of the presser being in effect a downward movement, as clearly evident from a comparison of Figs. 7 and 8. This insures an easier action of and upon the barb of the needle than in a. case where the presser is substantially stationary, while the needle is moving down, and the whole action falls upon the needle barb. In other words, in the present construction, the presser participates actively in the pressing as a moving part, whereas heretofore the presser was inert or lifeless in the pressing action. 7

, The rocking movement of each presser is accelerated, such acceleration being of course inaddition to any theoretical and necessary substantially microscopic acceleration due merely to angular motion on a single pivot.

In former constructions, such as those disclosed in my said patents, the beard or barb of the needle co-acted only with the vertical edge of the presser, the point of the beard being moved in by such vertical edge, whereas in the present construction there is a real and substantial rocking movement of the presser and the inclined face 72 presses against the beard above the point thereof. This insures a much easier and surer action of the needle beard. Each presser Gil is shown as having an edge 70, 72, 7% together constituting the upper shoulder of the presser, and immediately below said shoulder is a curved recess below which is a second shoulder of less extent from front to back than the upper shoulder. The lower face of the second shoulder engages the upper edge of the ring or cage, as already described. Because of the less extent of the presser from front to rear at the lower or second shoulder as compared with the broadest part of the presser at the upper shoulder, the beard of the needle will not be engaged by the lower shoulder, but will be substantially removed therefrom. This is of advantage because it substantially reduces the friction between the needle beard and the presser incident to certain prior constructions. There is no necessity in ap-plicants construction to provide means to prevent vibration of the points or lower parts of the beards of the needles after the loops have been cast.

In order to operate the needle pressers I provide two sliding cams 82, 83 having inof my invention are in constant engagement ing movement beneath cap plates 86, 87

which as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 41 are secured in position by screws 88 entering slots 89 of sufiicient length to permit some adjustment circumferentially of the sinker cam ring of the said cap plates 86,

87 and the cams 82, 83. "Pivoted upon the outer ends of the cap plates 86, 87, at 90, 91 are level-s92, 93, the outer ends whereof are connected to coil springs 94, 95. The inner ends of said springs are connected to certain of the screws 88 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. Each of said levers 92, 93 is preferably provided with a cam edge or face 95, 96 adapted constantly to engage the rear edge of the presser cams 82, 83, therebyholding said cams yieldingly inward in engagement with the line of needle pressers 64E. Desirably I provide each of the levers 92, 93 with an adjustable stop 97, 97 to limit the inward movement of the said levers under the action of the springs 93. 94:.

It will be observed that contradistinguished from the construction shown in my said Patents No. 1,209,256 and No. 1,209,257, I provide for the. constant but yielding engagement of the presser cams with the line of pressers 64 It will be understood that as usual in this type of machine, the sinker or web holder cam ring has a capacity for relatively slight circumferential movement with respect to the needle cylinder so that in reciprocating knitting the point of inward projection of the sinkers may be shifted with respect to the knitting point, as fully disclosed in my said PatentNo. 1,209,256. The sinkers or web holders and the pressers rotate or reciprocate with the needle cylinder.

It will be understood that certain of the features of my invention may be employed separately and in other types of machines than that here represented, but preferably and for the best results they are employed together to cooperate in the production of the knitted fabric which preferably is a stocking having heels and toes formed by narrowing and widening substantially as indicated in the said Hemphill Patent No. 933.443.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. In combination, in a spring needle knitting machine, a series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, an independent presser for each needle to close the beard thereof, said pressers and needles being relatively longitudinally reciprocable, and means acting during the relative reciprocation of each needle and its presser to rock the presser toward the swell of the beard of the needle while its'pressing edge is in engagement with the said swell and while the needle is moved longitudinally to cast its loop and'to accelerate such rocking movement in addition to any acceleration due merely to angular motion on a single pivot, so that such rocking movement occurs substantially simultaneously with the said relative reciprocating movement and so that said parts while in contact move in unison.

2. In combination, in a spring needle knitting machine, a series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, an independent presser for each needle, each presser having a pressing edge adapted to engagethe swell of the beard of the needle, and means to rock each presser toward the swell of the needle beard during the movement of the needle in a direction to cast 011' the old loop and to accelerate such rocking movement in addition to any acceleration'due merely to angular motion on a single pivot, whereby such movement of the needle is accompanied by a downward movement of the presser edge while the swell of the beard and the presser are in contact and so that said parts while in contact move in unison.

3. In combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, an independent presser'for each needle,'each of said pressers having aplurality of spaced fulcra upon which each presser acts in succession during the downward movement of its needle to cause an inward and downward movement of the pressing edge of the presser while the same is in contact with the swell of the beard of the needle andthe needle is descending and so ing edge of the presser is rocking inwardly and downwardly while in contact with the swell of the beard of the needle and the latter is descending and so that said parts while in contact move in unison.

5. In combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, an independent presser for each needle, a ring-like support for the series of pressers, said support having a flattened upper edge and each presser having a shoulder adapted to be received upon said flattened edge to constitute a fulcrum, and means to rock each presser upon its said fulcrum while its pressing edge is in engagement with the swell. of the heard of the needle and the latter is descendin whereb V both said needle and presser edge partake of a simultaneous downward movement together. V

6. In combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciproc-ablc spring beard needles, an independent presser for each needle, a ring-like support for the series of pressers having a flattened upper edge portion and each presser having a substantially horizontal shoulder adapted to pivot upon said upper edge, and means to rock each presser upon its said fulcrum inwardly while its pressing edge is in contact with the swell of the beard of the needle, and the latter is descending, whereby the pressing edge of the presser and its needle beard partake of a simultaneous downward movement.

7. In combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, an independent presser for each needle, a ring-likesupport for the series of pressers having an upper edge, each presser having a substantially horizontal shoulder received upon said upper edge as a fulcrum, each presser having below said shoulder a formation. constituting another fulcruming point, and means to rock each presser inwardly, first, upon the last mentioned fulcruming point, and then upon said shoulder, substantially as described.

8. In combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, an independent presser for each needle, each presser having a pressing edge composed of a plurality of portions at slight angles to each other and adapted to engage the swell of the beard of the needle as the latter is descending, and means to rock each presser inwardly while its presser edge is in contact with the swell of the barb of the downward movement while said parts are in contact. I

9. in combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, an independent presser for each needle, and means to rock each presser inward while its pressing edge is in contact with the swell of the beard of the needle, said means consisting of'a cam in constant contact with the line of the pressers, and spring means to press said cam constantly against said line of pressers.

10. In combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, an. independent presser foreach needle, and means to rock each presser inward while its pressing edge is in contact with the swell of the beard of the needle so that said parts whilein contact move in unison, said means consisting of a cam having the greater part/of its active face concentric with and in contact with the line of thepressers,andthe ends of the said face being short and relatively abruptly in clined. V

11. In combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, a series of pressers, one for each needle, a ring-like cage having grooves to receive said pressers, each presser having a substantially horizontal shoul ler at its inner face at about midlength thereof to constitute a fulcrum and receivable upon the upper edge of said cage, said presser having a pressing edge adapted to contact with the swell of the beard of the needle, and means to rock each presser upon its said shoulder while, its pressing edge is in contact with the swell of the beard of the needle and the latter is descending. l

12. In combination, in a circular spring needle knitting machine, a circular series of independently reciprocable spring beard needles, a series of pressers, one for each needle, a ring-like cage having grooves to receive said pressers, each presser having substantially a horizontal shoulder at its inner face at about midlength thereof to constitute a fulcrum and receivable upon the upper edge of said cage, said presser having a'pressing edge adapted to contact with the swell of the beard of the needle, and means to rock each presser upon its said shoulder while its pressing edge is in contact with the swell of the beard of the needle and the latter is decending, each presser at all points below its pressing edge being of less radial extent than at the greatest radial extent of said pressing edge, whereby the point of the beard of the needle is out of contact with the presser when the needle is at substantially the lowest point rock the presser toward the swell of the 10 of its descent and is thus relieved of fricbeard of tire needle While its pressing edge tion at the point. is in engagement with said swell and to ac- 13. In combination in a spring needle celerate such rocking movement in addition knitting machine, a series of independently to any acceleration due merely to angular I reciprocable, spring beard needles, an indemotion on a single pivot. 15 pendent presser for each needle to close the In testimony whereof, I have signed my beard thereof, and means acting during the name to this specification. movement of each needle to cast its loop to GEORGE P. BOSWORTH. 

